Steak Dianne

[RHPurcell]

Steak Dianne receipies call for "flame" with brandy. Does the brandy do something that vodka would not do?

What is a good Steak Dianne receipe

Thanks

RHPurcell

 

[oldcoot]

Can't help you with Steak Diane", but as to brandy vs vodka for "flaming, yes, it does give a different result. The flavor will be noticeably different. Vodka has little flavor of its own - it really amounts to "Grain Nuetral spirits" A.K.A. ethyl alcohol diluted in water. Brandy is distilled wine, and carries the distinctive and rather strong flavor of the fruit.

BW makes a favorite of ours frequently: Cherries Jubilee. On one occasion, she neglected to flame the brandy. The flavor was entirely different, and not nearly as good!

So both the effect of the fire and the flavor of the brandy are very important.

 

[ironchef]

by adding "flame" (flambe), basically all you are doing is quickly evaporating the alcohol from the brandy. normally, you could do this by reducing the sauce, but the sauce for steak diane doesn't traditionally call for reduction. you can probably find a good recipe on google or yahoo. i don't have a recipe off the top of my head, but the sauce usually consists of heavy cream, brandy, butter, shallots, and tarragon.